


Love Me

by TigerLily



Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-01
Updated: 2012-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-30 11:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/331315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/TigerLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Horatio's lack of self-preservation causes Rick to declare his feelings for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Me

**Author's Note:**

> written for murgy31 who won my auction at help_haiti.

“When did you become a masochist?” Rick Stetler asked his reflection as he straightened his tie while recalling the dream of Horatio Caine making love to him that his alarm clock had interrupted.

The tie was burgundy and for once it didn’t clash with his light pink dress shirt. He had Horatio to thank for it, and this thought caused him to grimace.

The redhead had unofficially nominated himself as Rick’s fashion coordinator after Rick had walked into the crime lab one day wearing a royal blue shirt and a garish orange tie he had picked up at the Goodwill.

Rick sighed. Horatio Caine had been a thorn in his side for years, but in recent months that had changed. He had started to spend time with the older man and thus getting to know him better. In doing so, he had fallen under the redhead’s spell.

His phone rang and pulled him out of his thoughts. He picked it off the foyer table and answered, “Stetler.” He listened carefully to the caller. “Yes, sir. I’m leaving for the crime lab now. Hopefully, I can catch Caine before he begins his day.”

He ended the call and slipped his phone into his jacket pocket. He scooped up his keys and headed into work.

&*&*&*&

“Horatio,” Rick called out as he saw the redhead standing near the AV lab checking his phone. He quickly joined the redhead.

Horatio put his phone into his lapel pocket and coolly replied, “Rick.”

“We may have a potential problem,” Rick began.

“We?”

Rick glared at Horatio. He hated it when the older man started playing word games, especially when he was trying to be serious.

“Go on,” Horatio urged silently enjoying pushing Rick’s buttons.

“Somebody has found and leaked the transcripts to the Argento grand jury.”

So?”

“So, now Argento knows you’re the one who put him away. He still has associates on the outside, Horatio. Somebody might wanna take a shot at you,” Rick explained fighting the urge to smack the redhead up side the head for being so dense.

“Yes, that’s the risk we take everyday, Rick.”

Rick sighed and stepped closer to the older man. “Now, this is beyond hero worship okay? With this information out there, you’re in danger and I would like to convince you to take a security detail of your own.”

“Do I detect a note of concern?” Horatio softly inquired. He had slipped his sunglasses from his pocket and was fiddling with them. He needed to get away from Rick before he acted on the feelings the brunette stirred up inside of him.

“The Department is feeling very exposed,” Rick answered. He wanted to tell Horatio how he felt and beg him to take the protection, so that they would have a chance at a future, but he wasn't into emotional blackmail.

“Oh,” Horatio snarked. “So were back to reality.”

“This is serious.”

“It always is.” Horatio turned and walked away from Rick leaving the other man fuming.

&*&*&*&

Rick spent the rest of the day with his ear to ground, and some of the things he heard had caused his heart to lodge in his throat a time or two.

He watched Horatio interview Damon Argento reviewing in his mind the state of Horatio’s Hummer when it was towed into the crime lab garage. He still couldn’t believe somebody had been crazy enough to not only break into it, but also vandalize it.

He shook his head when Horatio let the young man go with a mild warning. They had locked eyes before the redhead left the police station, but Rick hadn’t been able to read anything in Horatio’s expression.

The one thing that it did do was make Rick curious and concerned, so he shadowed the redhead for the rest of the day.

&*&*&*&

Things between Horatio and Damon Argento came to a head later in the day, and Rick was mentally cussing out the redhead as he made his way behind Damon.

If anyone is going to shoot Horatio Caine, it's going to be me, Rick vowed as he trained his gun on the back of the young man’s head.

&*&*&*&

“What, you just expect me to fill in all those years you took my dad away from me?” Damon Argento snarled the question. He had Horatio’s back up piece trained on the redhead.

“I know how you feel, Damon,” Horatio tried to empathized. His gun was drawn, but hung loosely at his side.

“How can you know, unless you’ve felt what I’ve felt?”

“I know, because I’ve lost family too.”

“I didn’t lose my dad. You took him from me!”

“Damon put the gun down,” Horatio softly ordered as he raised his. He had caught sight of Rick making his way up behind Damon with his gun drawn.

“No,” Damon growled. He pulled the trigger and nothing happened. He stared dumbfounded at Horatio.

Horatio walked up and removed the gun from Damon’s grip. “On your knees.”

Damon sank to his knees shooting daggers of hatred at Horatio.

“Rick, if you be kind enough,” Horatio said not looking at Rick.

“Damon Argento, you are under arrest for vandalism, arson and attempted murder,” Rick said taking out his handcuffs and hooking the young man up. He pulled Damon to his feet and led him out of the building reciting the Miranda warning.

Horatio reholstered his gun and walked out of the building.

&*&*&*&

Rick stopped Horatio as he was leaving the lab for the evening. “We need to talk,” he said.

“Not now, Rick,” Horatio replied the fatigue he was feeling evident in his deep voice. He wasn't in the mood to explain his actions toward Damon Argento. “It’s been a long day.”

“Come over to my place,” Rick suggested. He could see that Horatio was tired and probably wouldn't fix himself something to eat before passing out in front of the t.v. Besides, he didn’t want to air his secret in public. “I’ll fix dinner.”

“Don’t you mean order out?” Horatio immediately quipped.

“Can you refrain from being a pain in the ass for a few hours?”

Horatio held up his hands and said, “Mea culpa.”

Rick sighed, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Alright. I’ll try to be good,” Horatio replied as he dropped his hands resting them on his hips. “Because this sounds serious.”

“Very serious,” Rick stipulated. “And you can bring dessert.”

&*&*&*&

Rick opened his front door and smiled. “You look nice,” he said and stepped aside to let Horatio into his condo.

The redhead had changed into a pair of brown loafers, faded jeans and a hunter green linen shirt. Such casual attire meant Rick was going to get to spend the evening with the real Horatio.

“So do you,” Horatio returned the compliment smiling at Rick's choice of attire; a black t-shirt advertising an old AC/DC tour and old jeans. He held up a brown bag. “I bought wine and dessert, so what’s for dinner?”

“Spaghetti and meatballs.”

“Sounds good.” Horatio handed Rick the bag and followed him into the kitchen silently admiring Rick’s ass in his holey jeans. “I’m starving.”

“You could have stopped for lunch,” Rick gently admonished knowing that Horatio was too much like a dog with a juicy bone. Once a case caught his interest, the redhead would work it into the ground forgetting to take care of himself until the case was solved.

Horatio shrugged as he leaned on the counter next to the fridge with his legs crossed at the ankles.

Rick rolled his eyes before removing the wine from the bag briefly noting that it was his favorite, a California chardonnay, and then took down two wine glasses. “You want a splash now or wait until dinner?”

“I’ll take a glass now.”

Rick poured them each a glass. “So what should we drink to?” he asked after handing Horatio a glass.

Horatio swirled the red liquid in his glass before looking up and saying, “Surviving another day in the maddening jungle that is Miami.”

Rick touched his glass against Horatio’s and softly said, “To survival.”

&*&*&*&*

“You’re an amazing cook, Rick,” Horatio complimented the brunette as he pushed back from the table to enjoy another glass of wine.

“You sound surprised.”

“I shouldn’t be. Yelina told me once that you managed a minor miracle by getting Ray, Jr. to eat vegetables.”

Rick chuckled. “It was only broccoli. Not much of a miracle since it was covered in Alfredo sauce.”

“My nana had to trick me the same way,” Horatio admitted with a wry grin. “Ray would eat anything that was put in front of him. Me, I’ve got somewhat of a discriminating palate.”

“I might have to argue with you on that one.”

“Oh?”

“I watched you mix together Mac n’ cheese, kidney beans and hot dogs, and then happily eat it.”

“Tuna fish and rice mixed together is fine cuisine?” Horatio countered.

“That was me being too tired to go grocery shopping and sick of take out,” Rick responded thinking that he and Horatio were starting to sound like they had been married for several decades.

Horatio softly laughed. “Do you realize what we sound like?”

“An old married couple bickering for no reason other than it’s fun and annoys the children.”

“Pretty much.”

“Just proves that we’ve grown comfortable with each other in the past few months,” Rick observed.

“Enough so that you can tell me what has been bothering you of late?” Horatio gently inquired.

Rick choked on the sip of wine he had taken.

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” Rick replied after clearing his throat. “I forget you have a tendency to knock people off guard.”

“So?” Horatio softened his haggard features with a smile and a quizzical eyebrow. He didn’t want Rick to think he was interrogating him.

“As crazy as this is going to sound, especially after everything that has happened today,” Rick mumbled biting the bullet. “I’m in love with you.”

&*&*&*&*

Horatio sat and stared at Rick trying to come to terms with Rick’s revelation and what it meant for their future not only as friends, but also as cops. “That’s not quite the answer I was expecting,” he said finally breaking his silence.

“It’s the truth,” Rick declared suddenly feeling defensive and not knowing why.

“No need to get defensive about it.”

“No need for you to be an unfeeling prick about it either,” Rick snapped. He stood up and stalked from the room needing to put some space between himself and the redhead.

Horatio sighed and followed Rick onto the balcony that over looked the beach. “I’m not an unfeeling prick. You took me by surprise,” he tried to explain.

“So I’ve got shitty timing,” Rick snarked not bothering to turn and face Horatio.

“Yeah…well, you’re talking to the king of shitty timing.”

Horatio leaned on the wrought iron railing next to Rick, but with enough space between them so that Rick didn’t feel threatened.

“Would you have taken the protection detail if I had confessed my feelings for you?” Rick eventually asked over the gentle swishing of the waves on the shore.

“No.”

“Good.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t use emotional blackmail.”

“What were you and Yelina then?”

“A mistake that almost cost me her friendship and your respect,” Rick ruefully admitted.

“I do care for you, Rick,” Horatio simply said. “I just don’t know if it’s love, and it would be unfair to you to say that it is.”

“This is one time I wish you would lie,” Rick sighed.

Horatio reached out and turned Rick to face him. He cupped the younger man’s face letting his thumb gently caress Rick’s cheek. “Wouldn’t be right to start out a relationship with a lie,” he calmly remarked.

“I know.” Rick couldn’t stop himself from leaning into the touch, and then turning his face to place a light kiss on Horatio’s palm causing the redhead to quietly moan. “I love you and will accept whatever you are willing to give me.”

Horatio stepped closer while sliding his hand behind Rick’s head and pulling him down into a cautious kiss.

Rick returned the kiss before pulling away to catch his breath. It wasn’t the first time he had kissed a man and assumed it was the same for Horatio. “Are you sure about this?”

“Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Then so am I.”

Rick dipped his head and captured Horatio’s soft lips again. With little licks of his tongue, he demanded entrance to Horatio’s mouth. Horatio opened his mouth sucking Rick’s tongue inside to duel with his.

&*&*&*&*

Horatio ran his fingers through Rick’s dark hair as the other man rested his head on Horatio’s shoulder. “We’re gonna have to do that again sometime,” he drawled his Queens accent making an unscheduled appearance.

“I’d like that,” Rick replied before raising his head and looking Horatio in the eye.

"Tomorrow then," Horatio suggested. "My place. I cook and you bring the dessert."

"It's a date," Rick agreed trying hard to hide the sense of dread the thought of the next day was producing in his body.

Horatio felt the sudden tension sweep through Rick’s body turning his new lover into a taunt spring waiting to snap. He slid his hand up and down Rick’s back trying to sooth him. “What?”

“What do we do about tomorrow?”

“We take it like we do every day,” Horatio cryptically answered.

“One day at a time.”

“Exactly.”

“I'm not sure I can, Horatio.”

“We go to work and do our jobs being discrete about this part of our lives,” Horatio murmured allowing his hand to slip down to caress Rick's ass.

“And, if we are forced out into the open?” Rick’s greatest fear was losing his job because of his sexuality even though the MDPD was fairly tolerant about gay and lesbian officers.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but know that I will never abandon you due to somebody’s narrow minded opinion about love.”

Rick smiled and leaned down to softly kiss the redhead. Horatio always found a way to make him feel better. “Got another bout in you?” he gently teased.

Horatio rolled them so that he was straddling Rick’s thighs. “I may be the older man in this relationship, but don’t count me out just yet,” he growled before taking Rick’s mouth in a hungry kiss.

fin


End file.
